Loopwheeled/Vintage T-Shirts

[coleslawyum]

Who makes basic loopwheeled t-shirts without pockets?

Real McCoys, Samurai, SDA, Flat Head, Sugarcane, etc. etc.

[kiya]

Get ready for the ridic shit from Strike Gold. Their tees feel better than Flat Head's even. All blank, no pockets, triple stitched collar..

[Aries]

Helllll yes.

[onehundy]

Can any one comment on loopwheelers quality compared to RMC or FH. thanks

[Rightyow77]

Don't know about Loopewheelers, but I own both FH and RMC stuff and the quality and feel are amazing. Also own some SG loopwheeled stuff but only their sweats can comment on their T's but I would assume they are on par with FH or McCoy, I plan on grabbing two T's and a IH hoodie next time I'm in SF

Fit pic of one of my newest, now favorite FH Ts

Edited January 31, 2013 by Rightyow77

[Flash]

X post from the flathead thread

Bought a few flathead tee's and I have to say I love them

Never thought I'd find a tee to even come close to Real McCoys but IMHO these are on the same level as far as fabric and construction

The loopwheeled fabric on the two short sleeved tee's seems pretty similar but the reglan sleeve baseball tee has a lighter materal ( not sure if its loopwheeled but still a great shirt )

[itsbenhere]

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/kitarou/item/barns-swt-005/

Does anyone know if these are loop wheeled? They look so nice.

[jacoavlu]

highly unlikely just based on the price

if you're looking for a loopwheel pullover hoodie blue in green sells some

[S-Town]

itsbenhere, Barns has stated to me that they are loopwheeled. who knows, really? but, i wouldn't get too worried about that. they are very nice, heavy, and simple hoodies. all the seams are flat and sewn on a union special. and, they put out a couple new colors a year. there are more luxurious fabrics out there, but Barns wins at their price point. They have a harder hand compared to brands like Flat Head or Cushman.

it's a shame Deluxeware doesn't do a plain version of their pullover hoodie. there fabric is like no other.

[CityPickin']

Anybody have any of the Stevenson tees? I was considering picking up one of the two-packs at Self Edge....seems like everything that company makes is really nice. Their printed tees look amazing as well. Hoping that SE decides to stock those this season.

[S-Town]

get the fuck outta here, and quit acting like you're an expert on every god damned thing. he asked if it was loopwheeled. believe it or not, this is a yes or no question. either it's loopwheeled or not. just like whether a denim is selvedge or not. Barns stated that their hoodies are in fact loopwheeled. How in the fuck can any of us verify that??? We can't. So, I explained that it is a nice, sturdy shirt anyway, with many colors to boot.

enough dude. seriously, you are the worst person i have ever encountered in this forum.

[big truck]

Would it be more accurate to describe loopwheeled as a manufacturing process? I do wish people would put more effort into looking decent than obsessing about details just because the internet says it's good.

[Guyute]

mistake

Edited March 14, 2013 by Guyute

[big truck]

I dont see where Kiya proclaimed the FH were 'experts'. He is simply saying that they have a machine that does X and Y and no-one else does.

Isn't the problem with the internet that it allows people to regurgitate information which they have gained through research (whether in-depth or not) irrespective of whether the issue in hand actually calls for that. Literally firing information which has only the loosest of connections to the issue? This is not a dig at you whatever, just a general rant re forums generally. And yes, I have considered the inconsistency between the point I make and the context of my rant.

[rayw44]

some of you people crack us up.

I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I take it the use of "us" must refer to some sort of troll union that you belong to? If not, the use of the plural pronoun may explain quite a bit about your posting patterns.

[Guyute]

is kiya a loopwheel expert?

[jimmyc]

Lets try to keep this thread on topic and quit with the petty arguments.

[Double 0 Soul]

whatever,

Since you dont seem to be blessed with any kind of social etiquette why not give this book a read it will be $6 well spent.

[garden gnomes in space]

i guess loopwheeler has an online store now. this must be relatively recent. this is such a good resource for those into lw stuff ... it doesnt get better then this.

http://loopwheeler.jp/en/

thanks for the link. I had investigated them a year or so ago, but the website (or my search skills) came up pretty empty. The prices seem pretty good.

[misterjuiceman]

some of you people crack us up.

but yes truck, i couldnt agree with you more, fh is certainly no lw expert.

Who, in your opinion, is?

[Guyute]

I'm confused.

Judging by some repeated posts, this thread seems to be compiled of mutliple threads.

So, maybe I misssed something, but Kiya seems to know judging based on a picture what isn't loopwheeled, but hasn't commented thus far on how exactly this is was determined.

It seems a lot of people are curious about how this is deciphered.

Some people say you can only tell by feeling the hand of the material in person? Yeah?

Other people seem to be able to point out non-loopwheeled material based on a couple of pictures.

I would love more information on this.

[Guyute]

found this today...

Cheap, why is that shirt in this thread?

That looks like a 70's long sleeve shirt.

Ah yes, i thought this thread was more for loopwheeled vintage items, not just any vintage t-shirts.

Specifically, this exchange is what has me utterly confused on the subject.

It seems some are able to quickly spot the difference between loopwheeled vintage vs. plain old vintage.

I know Kiya is super busy and it's probably hard to find time to read and post on message boards, but it would be really cool to know more about this and I think a lot people would appreciate it.

[kiya]

I have a hard time communicating with Whatever123, hence why i removed myself from this thread once he showed up.

In short, yes, it is possible to tell the difference between a true loopwheeled fabric and non-loopwheeled fabric. I've handled nearly every brand in Japan's fabrics, been to two mills which only do loopwheeling in Wakayama (where most loopwheeled fabric comes from), helped restring a display machine in Nagano, and helped develop Strike Gold's current fabrics. After all this, yes, i believe it is possible to tell the difference between true loopwheeled fabric and a fabric that is merely woven on a circular knitting machine.

[Guyute]

Wow man, that is some really, really impressive experience.

Jeez, I'm still confused though.

If you have a few more minutes, do you think it would be possible to talk a little bit about visually discerning loopwheeled fabrics?

Maybe you could use the above quoted pictures of the red shirt as a starting point and go from there? What was it that tipped you off that that was merely a 70's vintage shirt and not loopwheeled? I think that is what people are most interested in hearing about from an expert.

[misterjuiceman]

I have a hard time communicating with Whatever123, hence why i removed myself from this thread once he showed up.

In short, yes, it is possible to tell the difference between a true loopwheeled fabric and non-loopwheeled fabric. I've handled nearly every brand in Japan's fabrics, been to two mills which only do loopwheeling in Wakayama (where most loopwheeled fabric comes from), helped restring a display machine in Nagano, and helped develop Strike Gold's current fabrics. After all this, yes, i believe it is possible to tell the difference between true loopwheeled fabric and a fabric that is merely woven on a circular knitting machine.

I had no idea you had a hand in developing the Strike Gold fabrics. Must explain how they came out of nowhere with regard to knits with such success. Very excited to get mine from SE once it comes in the mail.

Also, probably a stupid question, but I've got a Joe McCoy henley, and I'm wondering if you guys know if it's loop-wheeled. I assumed not, but the SG hoodie will be my first loop-wheeled garment, so I really don't know.

Edited March 15, 2013 by misterjuiceman

[misterjuiceman]

sg is NOT the only people who source from lw. in fact, they are such a small company they likely order very little, hence the up-charge on similar items. the increase in price certainly isnt because they sew in some magic lw doesn't.

that henely looks like their union shirt. it does have some of the unique needlework lw uses. mccoy's has several rare machines used for this, at least according to g whom i trust more then anyone when it comes to this, after all ... he is the original guy to bring us these great products and is know as the "indigo master" in japan.

Yep, I know they aren't. It basically came down to the McCoy's hoodie or SG, and I figured I'd check out SG and see what the hype's about, since a lot of folks are comparing it positively to the RMC offering.

I've got a Merz b. Schwanen knit, too, and I know Merz uses some vintage machinery, but if I understand correctly, none of that is LW.

Gordon is great--he did mention he could get me any RMC stuff that they have, so I'm waiting for those thermal henleys to come in and I might go for that. I'm a sucker for thermals.

Edited March 15, 2013 by misterjuiceman

[misterjuiceman]

i am not convinced i can tell right away, in fact, i know i cannot. i would not dismiss the possibility as there are lots of different lw materials. someone may be able to quantify this ... i cant.

I just assumed not since I've never seen it labeled as such--I'll have to compare the RMC, Merz and the SG when that comes, and see if I can figure out if the RMC and Merz are loop-wheeled.

Does anyone know how important underarm gussets are in terms of the durability of tube-knit shirts? Earlier in the thread it was mentioned that without them holes can develop quickly without the gussets, since the arms don't have as much structure. Do most brands use underarm gussets for loop-wheeled shirts or is it unnecessary?

Edited March 16, 2013 by misterjuiceman

[Foxy2]

Regarding the gussets:

I have seen 2 types of underarm gussets/gusset constructions:

- inserted/set-in gusset

- extended gusset as part of the body or sleeve (like on certain Warehouse tees and sweats copied from vintage sweats)

Generally speaking they are meant to allow for improved range of movement when lifting the arms.

The first purpose was not to re-enforce the underarm section of a tee/sweat.

(Keep in mind that a lot of the discussed features and materials originate from an area when fabrics did not stretch and recover as they do today - Spandex, Elastane only came into the picture sometime late 50's.)

In terms of durability I have to point out that certain types/constructins of inserted gussets have darts and pointed ends that require the sewing operator to pivot the goods under the needle of the sewing machine when inserting them - these points, when sewn less accurately, can have the tendency to be less stress bearing and may fray sooner or later.

[S-Town]

whatever123, i know i went nutzo on you up there. i feel like it was warranted at the time. but i do have to say, i really enjoy your constructive contributions. if you're like me at all, it feels better to teach something than it does to crap on somebody. so anyway, thank you for the LW pics and knowledge. the more i learn, the more i love.

of any sufu regular, i would guess that kiya knows what he is talking about. but from my experience, determining loopwheeled fabric by touch is beyond me, let alone by sight. of all the shirts i have handled, i feel that the best fabric is from Deluxeware. these shirts are hard on the outside, but super-soft on the inside. they are almost TOO warm for "normal" sweatshirt weather. think about the pair of levis being pulled in different directions by horses. i think a Deluxeware shirt would be tougher to rip apart. on the other hand, Cushman sweats are so silky smooth and soft that it's hard to believe they are of the same ilk. and then, Fil Melange is on an entirely different level of softness (and price). outside of price, Fil Melange's Byrd raglan is the most luxurious knit top that I have ever worn.

in my humble opinion, nothing beats a great sweatshirt.

Edited March 16, 2013 by S-Town

[Double 0 Soul]

I agree with S-Town you have some brilliant contributions to make there is just no need to be some damn abrasive about it, We dont use forums to be lectured. You know you dont endear yourself to people cant blame us for getting pissed.

Bygones be bygones?